How To Clean a Chemex Without Scrubbing

I’m sure a great number of people have shared my struggle to clean coffee equipment that has a narrow opening. Coffee oils cling to surfaces and turn rancid. These rotten oils add undesirable flavors to your brew. Nasty! I had a long bottle brush, but it was a total PITA to get it in just the right shape to make sufficient contact. Achieving enough pressure to scrub the oils away was another challenge.

There Has to be a Better Way!

Yes, there is a better way, and it is ridiculously simple to clean your Chemex, with absolutely zero scrubbing. This method will also work quite well with airpots, siphon brewers, as well as any other item that is made of metal or glass. I never use any detergents on plastic items, as plastics can hold onto cleaners forever. OxiClean is like a solid form of Hydrogen Peroxide, so it doesn’t seem to contain anything that would leave tastes behind, but I haven’t used it on plastic yet. Perhaps I’ll test it out on a cheapo Melitta.

What You’ll Need

Hot Water

2T – 3T of OxiClean (Readily available at local stores)

Directions

Add OxiClean to the Chemex

Fill Chemex with hot water

Wait 2-6 hours

Rinse

You see how scuzzy my 13-cup Chemex was. I used about 3T of OxiClean and let it sit for about 2 hours. I could immediately see the coffee oils lifting away from the sides of the Chemex. It was magical and sounded like a bowl of Rice Krispies.

The search for great coffee has become an American obsession. It’s right up there with NASCAR and colluding with Russians. Connoisseurs of the elixir of life can now please their discerning palates at boutique coffee emporiums stretching from Seattle to Key West.

However, a fierce debate rages on regarding the best way to brew one’s coffee at home. Some swear by the vacuum process while others pledge their fealty to the French Press or the pour over. Brand names like Chemex, Aeropress, and Hario are now tossed around as freely as Frisbees.

IF YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE YOUR COFFEE, THE FIRST DECISION IS HOW YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE IT.

Making coffee is serious business, and woe to the neophyte who says, “I think those Keurig pods are pretty good.” Blasphemer!

So, if you want to impress the Caffeine Cognoscenti, you may want to follow these seven easy steps to make one helluva good cup o’ Joe.

STEP #1: FUNNY, YOU DON’T LOOK BREWISH

If you’re going to make your coffee, the first decision is how you’re going to make it. Many people who are sticklers for great coffee swear by the pour-over method and swear even more when they run out of filters.

So, if you find automatic coffee makers an abomination and a tool of Satan, get yourself a good Hario V60. Hario in Japanese means “King of Glass.” So don’t throw any stones at it. This Japanese-made pour-over kit contains a heat-resistant glass coffee pot that’s microwavable. It holds 4 cups and is easy to use.

And best of all, it makes a killer cuppa.

STEP #2: GRINDER FINDER

What? You use pre-ground coffee! That’s a serious misdemeanor in Eugene or Portland, OR. According to the Coffee Nostra, coffee must be ground every time you make coffee. So, a grinder is de rigueur (which is a French phrase for “super cool”).

A GOOD GRIND CAN BE LIKE YOUR FRIENDS; SOME ARE COARSE, AND OTHERS ARE VERY FINE.

People in the know love the Burr coffee grinder and not just because of Aaron Burr, who killed Hamilton, invented it. His invention is making a killing, I know, ironic. The Burr can grind 17 different ways (insert joke here), so it’s well worth the modest price.

STEP #3: THE BEAN IS BOSS

Back in the day, there were only three kinds of coffee beans, and two of them were found on top of Juan Valdez’s donkey. Today, at last count, you have 26,341 different types of beans to choose from, some from countries you’ve never heard of before.

So, why whole beans? Could it be because all their essentials oils are locked inside? Yes, I just answered my own question. And make sure they’re freshly roasted.

Okay, where are these precious beans? At a local roaster or a small roaster who sells online. Don’t have one? Then go to GoCoffeeGo and you’ll find a selection of quality beans from several roasters…all in one shopping cart. Or just walk around a trendy neighborhood in your city and sniff around a lot.

STEP #4: SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

Now that the obsession of brewing the perfect cup of coffee has jeopardized your job and your social life, let’s go full-tilt OCD and talk about water thermometers. Yes, that’s right. Because if your heated water is only 185 degrees (the current temperature in Phoenix), you’re cheating yourself.

Those in the know say that 200 degrees in the gold standard of heatitude. So get that water thermometer out or get yourself the Bonavita Variable Temperature Kettle and impress your friends. If you still have any left.

STEP #5: WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE

The average human body is about 70% water unless you’re Michael Phelps. Then it’s 98.75%. The same for coffee. That’s why many people think of Michael Phelps when they drink coffee.

THE AVERAGE HUMAN BODY IS ABOUT 70% WATER UNLESS YOU’RE MICHAEL PHELPS.

So it’s important to use filtered water. Not tap water. That will only anger your grind. And angry coffee is yucky coffee. Spring water and filtered water are best. Distilled? Not so much.

STEP #6: BREWING 101

If you aspire to be a great coffee brewer, then there are a few fundamental things you should know. So get out your calculators and take notes.

Coffee to Water Ratio “Do I really have to know this?” “Will this be on the test?” Hey, stop your bellyaching. This is important stuff. Ideally, the ratio for a great cup is 18 parts water to one part coffee. So, if you’re using 4 cups of water, then… umm… you should be using… uhhh…Math is hard! I prefer the eyeball method.

Nate Note: I get crazy here and uses a Hario scale to measure the mass of water used. I use a scale because mass offers better consistency from brew to brew than measuring by volume. If you use a ratio of 15:1, it would be 1000 g of water to about 67 g of coffee. Coffee is subjective, so adjust the ratio until you find your preference. Note that you’ll adjust this ratio for various brewing methods.

Grind Particle Size When it comes to coffee, size matters. A medium fine grind is ideal for most brewing methods. A coarser grind says to the world, “I haven’t a clue about the brew.”…unless you’re using a press pot. So get out that Burr device and figure it out.

Water Temperature Don’t forget the water should be between 198 and 202 degrees.

STEP #7: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE STARBUCKS

Gandhi once said, “This lousy coffee tastes like the Ganges! Send it back!” Coffee is a very personal thing. Start your day with a bad cup of coffee and the whole day is ruined. But a great cup of coffee makes the world seem more tolerable, like a world with fewer Kardashians.

So how do you tell the difference? Well, if you take a sip of java and immediately spit it out and cry “Foul!” that’s a good indication you’ve just tasted bad coffee. Conversely, if you take a sip… smile, say “Ahhh!” and high-five your umbrella stand, then you’ve tasted the delicious stuff.

NO EXCUSE FOR BAD COFFEE

In summary, there’s no excuse for a bad cup of coffee anymore. Just follow the previous seven steps, and nirvana will be awaiting you. Namaste.

The Reuseable K Cup Filter :: How To Reuse K Cups

You may have read my post about the Pros and Cons of the K Cup, in which I explain that the ‘Cons’ of the Keurig brewer were; Control, Cost, Waste, and Quality of coffee. We can eliminate all of these negatives with one product, the Ekobrew Reusable Kcup Filter. Other reusable filters don’t have as big of a capacity as the Ekobrew. Also, other filters only have one or two water injection points, the Ekobrew has a specially designed cone that fully saturates and extracts more evenly.

Quality of Coffee – Now you can use your own fresh roasted coffee!

Waste – You won’t be throwing away those used plastic K cups! Reuse your K cup filter over and over again.

Control – Now you can control how strong your brew is. The Ekobrew reusable filter is deeper than other reusable kcups, so you can make a strong cuppa joe! We still don’t get to control the water temperature, or brew time, but you’re never going to get everything with the Keurig system.

This product isn’t going to make me suddenly love the Keurig coffee brewer, but it does offer an alternative for those who do. I will still brew my coffee as I have always done, but now I know what I’m buying all of the Keurig lovers I know! 😀

SAVE %20 THIS WEEK ONLY!

From February 13th – 19th, visitors from CoffeeNate.com will enjoy an exclusive savings of %20 off! You must purchase through the links at CoffeeNate.com, and also use the coupon code REUSEABLE20 in order to get the discounted price. Even without the discount, this product will save you a bunch of money. Not to mention, your coffee will taste much better!

More info from the manufacturer…

Product Details

Design & Functionality The Ekobrew unit works on the same principles as the best espresso coffee machines. Optimum extraction of the best single serve drip coffee is a product of the perfect grind combined with the perfect amount of coffee to achieve the ideal coffee extraction. 1. Open Ekobrew lid 2. Fill with your favorite ground coffee and close the lid 3. Insert into Keurig holster and brew With its low tamp dispersion cone the Ekobrew filter evenly soaks the coffee grounds for optimal extraction.

MaterialsStainless SteelPolypropylene – BPA-free, polypropylene is commonly used for injection molding. It’s resistance to high heat generally makes it microwave and dishwasher safe, as well as a good option for food and beverage storage.

Sustainability Projections for 2011 suggested that more than 5 billion K-Cups will be sold, used and then disposed of by consumers. These non-biodegradable K-Cups will, for the most part, end up in our landfills and never decompose.

About ekobrewEko Brands, LLC, a Seattle based company, began their mission to provide an ecologically responsible and less expensive solution when they introduced the Ekobrew in early 2011.

Single serve coffee is the fastest growing segment in the North American coffee market today. The Keurig single cup brewing system utilizes small disposable plastic and foil cups called “K-Cups” that hold ground coffee for brewing each cup.

Now there is an alternative that is greener, less expensive and provides far more choices – the Ekobrew Reusable Filter for Keurig single cup coffee maker.

Ekobrew brings you a new of single serve coffee – convenience with a conscience

Care Instructions Dishwasher safe

Ekobrew is not compatible with the B30, B130, B150 and B155

Customer Review of Ekobrew Reusable K Cup Filter

Excellent item – and thank God it exists

Rating by Gordon K – 12/2011

This work quite well. Make sure you use coffee of an appropriate grind (electric drip grind works well) – if too fine, it will clog up and overflow, very messily. The common blade-type grinder a lot of people use at home does NOT do a good job for this purpose, as it’s very hard to get a consistent grind of the right size with those – you’re better off buying your coffee ground, unless you have a burr grinder at home. Frankly, I wish there were no need for this product – the fact that those Keurig-type coffee makers exist at all is an outrage against the earth – along with all the other senseless waste that seems to keep getting worse and worse. But given that we need to cope with that situation until people wake up, thank God it’s at least *possible* to get a re-usable container for them.

Ingredients of a ‘Healthy’ Coffee

I’m really down on these ‘healthy’ coffee companies. While there are several other scammy outfits out there selling snake oil, it blows my mind that these people try to market to people who actually know what coffee tastes like, and that whole bean coffee is naturally healthy. It’s like trying to tell a cigar aficionado that a Swisher Sweet is better than a Fuente Fuente OpusX, or serving fish sticks to a food critic who specializes in seafood.

This week, somebody sent me a sample of ORGANO GOLD CAFE LATTE. I had to laugh when I opened the package, as I remember saying “These clowns are relentless!” Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t send me their miracle coffee, begs me to join their healthy coffee company to become a millionaire, or requests to advertise on my site. The answer to all of these requests is NO FREAKING WAY! I have yet to taste a ‘healthy coffee’ that I would even consider finishing the cup, let alone drinking it by choice.

Do yourself a favor and enjoy a cup of the REAL healthy coffee…coffee! The stuff grows on trees, and it is only processed by drying and roasting. How in the world could turning it into a powder and lacing it with preservatives be better than the natural product? By adding a mushroom extract? I don’t think so. Give me the original “healthy coffee”…real coffee!!!! (Health benefits of coffee) The reason for this post is to share the ‘healthy’ ingredients of this “beverage”. No matter what unproven health benefits this mushroom may possess, I would have to say that in this form it would be negligible. I prefer to keep having my mushrooms sauteed and served with steak, not in my coffee.

There’s a reason that the Organo Gold website makes zero claims about having any health benefits. The only people you will ever hear making claims about this product are the ones who are selling it. Nobody buys it retail and the company doesn’t stand behind the claims that their representatives are making. If there’s no documented health benefits and it doesn’t taste good, don’t buy it. If there are health benefits realized by taking the mushroom, buy it from a health food store. Don’t use it to add to a low grade coffee-type beverage.

There are several technical aspects to brewing the perfect pot of coffee; the beans, brewer, the right grinder, water quality, etc all play role in the final taste of your brew. Sure, these are all important, but there is something else that I find important too… [Read more…]